D&D 5E Medium Armor Fix

[Kryx]

Stealth is nice, but eventually your group will likely have to fight (most groups have combat as a major pillar of the game). If a character wanted to not have disadvantage on stealth they'd need +2 dexterity and even then still lose 2 AC. That's a terrible trade.

In what I've proposed a character could not have disadvantage on stealth if they have +2 dexterity and lose 1 AC. It's still an unabalcned trade (the +2 dex investment should allow for stealth without disadvantage imo), but that choice is much better than RAW.

A difference in don/doff time is unlikely to matter in the vast majority of cases. The situations where you have 1 minute to spare, but not 5 are incredibly rare.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Stealth is nice, but eventually your group will likely have to fight (most groups have combat as a major pillar of the game).

Sure, but arguing that combat is inevitable still doesn't say anything toward the relative weight of AC vs ability to stealth. If you take 15% more damage over the course of the day, what does that really change, compared with skipping a fight? This comes down to a huge matrix of factors.

If a character wanted to not have disadvantage on stealth they'd need +2 dexterity and even then still lose 2 AC. That's a terrible trade.

The 2 dex isn't all negative. You're getting benefits from it. If you're really saying "you wouldn't have 14 dex unless you were wearing medium armor" then the complete package is:

2 ac
vs
+2 dex save
+2 init
+2 hit/damage with many of the better long range weapons
+2 to a bunch of skills and common checks
no disadvantage on stealth

In what I've proposed a character could not have disadvantage on stealth if they have +2 dexterity and lose 1 AC. It's still an unabalcned trade (the +2 dex investment should allow for stealth without disadvantage imo), but that choice is much better than RAW.

Like I said above: +2 dex is getting you plenty already.

A difference in don/doff time is unlikely to matter in the vast majority of cases. The situations where you have 1 minute to spare, but not 5 are incredibly rare.

It's going to be rare, but I've actually made a choice between heavy and medium armor on a character because of this factor. 1 minute is a time period that you can play out in rounds: bar a door, and it could conceivably take a minute to bust down (if the NPCs resort to the DMG auto-success rule). Hide and it could take 10 rounds to find you. Maximum longbow range is going to take 10 rounds for most characters to cover. 5 minutes is basically "we are not going to play this out in combat rounds... they interrupt you".

 

[Hillsy7]

The issue I'm having with that concept is partly that an artist's depiction of an image that they think they can make a nice picture of isn't an objective measure of what the RAW of a class' capabilities should be. Probably neither is whatever process google uses to decide whether any specific picture gets assigned the keyword: "Fighter"

He's right you know!!!!! The PHB is replete with just this sort of awful deviation from the objectivity of the wisdom of crowds!!!

I typed Monk into the internet and the first 20 images were appalling! No Martial arts, no weapons, no flying through the air through the power of the mind....Nothing.

How can D&D dare create a class like that. 75% of the images were of wizened old men in orange robes, and yet they choose Light armour proficiency. Light Armour! And proficiency in Monk weapons - what weapons!

There is also a worrying lack of representation of the 25% of Monks who are detectives with OCD...........

 

[Shiroiken]

Stream of consciousness:

I've also considered another approach, inspired by 4e: armor types based on the material

This would have been an overall better method than the system that's been in use since 3E. I would disagree with Fighter not getting plate, but that's quibbling.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The "thematic" armor restrictions make no sense.